79 years ago the Captain of the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club recorded in his log that on the 9th June racing was opened "by a race for the five boats (four of them new) of the Seabird Class". Although the plan to form a Yacht Club was taken in 1922 the first Commodore was appointed in 1924 and it is that date that is taken as the foundation of the Club.

		The first Clubhouse was not built until 1925 and the first races were controlled from the exposed headland as had all the Abersoch Village Regattas since 1881. The records for 1925 also show the first recorded protest when "two boats in the Junior Seabird Class were disqualified because the paid hands had handled the sheets".

From these small beginnings the Club held 11 races in 1925 although the then Captain found that number too strenuous, expanded to two classes racing in 1928. In 1935 the Club took delivery of ten "one-design" dinghies designed and built by C Colquhoun of Dunoon. These open fourteen foot clinker boats, with red cotton sails, were reported in "Yachting World" magazine as one of the fastest dinghies of the day and, at an initial cost of £29, were of good value. The centreboards were manufactured from steel salvaged from the German Fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow back in 1918. They became the third class at SCYC.

During the war the Clubhouse was not completely deserted as army patrols kept a lookout from the balcony. After the war sailing gradually resumed. The old boats were re-commissioned and in 1946 15 races and a Regatta were sailed. As more people discovered the delights of Abersoch and the Lleyn peninsula the tempo rapidly increased. Fast planing dinghies such as the Cadet, Firefly, and GP 14 were introduced and SCYC took its first delivery of a Dragon.

The first offshore race for the James D Eadie Cup was held in 1961 with seven entries, two from Ireland. The first National Championships hosted by the Club were in 1951 when the Firefly Association came to visit. Numerous National, European and World Championships for both dinghies and keelboats have been held since. From the fifties right up to the present day the Club has expanded at an ever increasing pace. The Honorary Secretary was replaced by a full time Secretary to keep pace with the increasing membership. The Cove was acquired, demolished and rebuilt in 1975. The large exposed girders on the Upper Deck are designed to take the weight of a third storey should it ever be necessary.

In the early days the only way for crews to get out to their boats on the moorings was by dinghy. As the membership increased there was not enough storage space for the dinghies and the launch service was introduced. This was augmented by the building of the Jetty, which was replaced in 2000 by the current extended wooden jetty.

The opening, and growth, of the marina has not had the detrimental effect on SCYC that many predicted and in fact both the sport of sailing, and the membership of SCYC, have witnessed great growth in recent years. The recent successes in the Olympic Games and the various individual and team races round the world have ensured that Team GB are right up at the top of our sport. The marina seems to have attracted more boats to Tremadoc Bay and when the weather is fine the anchorage off the clubhouse is reminiscent of Regatta Days. The outlook from the clubhouse is probably without compare and extra space has been gained by removing the veranda and extending the main club room and bar.

The Club is fortunate that Abersoch is perfectly situated and designed to host the whole range of Sailing Events, with accommodation to suit everyone from luxury hotels, self catering houses, bed and breakfast and camp sites. The beach is one of the safest in the country and has proven to be an ideal spot from which to launch and view the racing. The Open Event Programme at SCYC in 2004 is one of the busiest for many years and is described in more detail below. As I pen these few words the view from the Office is truly spectacular with snow lying on the hills opposite and a fierce easterly blowing away the cobwebs. Not a boat is in sight and the highest mountain in Wales is bathed in bright sunshine - thoughts instinctively turn towards summers past and the deeds of 2004 yet to come.

We are indebted to Capt Mel Barratt for the potted history of SCYC above. His Mother and Aunt were founder members of SCYC back in the twenties. Also to Fran Blackburn for the images taken from original postcards.

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